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Why both Abortion and Racism are Blasphemous

Last year’s acquital of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin has stirred up the debate over racism in a way that transcends any that I can recall. I don’t pretend to have the answer for this problem, although I highly recommend John Piper’s insightful and convicting book, Bloodlines, for those who want to dig more deeply. So let me say up front that what follows has been influenced greatly by John’s contribution to this volatile subject. Continue reading . . .

Last year’s acquital of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin has stirred up the debate over racism in a way that transcends any that I can recall. I don’t pretend to have the answer for this problem, although I highly recommend John Piper’s insightful and convicting book, Bloodlines, for those who want to dig more deeply. So let me say up front that what follows has been influenced greatly by John’s contribution to this volatile subject.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Dayfalls on the third Monday in January each year (this year it is next Monday, January 20). It is a day designed to awaken the people of our country to the urgent need for racial harmony and racial reconciliation. Sanctity of Life Daytypically falls on the Sunday after January 22, the day marking the Supreme Court’s decision in the now infamous case, Roe v. Wade. Likewise, it is a day designed to awaken the people of our country to the devastation caused by abortion and the ever-increasing number of lives that have been taken. Thus, by God’s providential design these two issues, abortion and racism, are forever linked in our annual calendar.

That doesn’t mean that Christians in January each year devote equal time to both issues. In fact, it is somewhat unusual to find a church where either issue, much less both, is even mentioned by a pastor or a congregation.

The fact of the matter is, if you were to attend a mainline denominational church at this time of year, one that was perhaps slightly left of center on the theological spectrum, you may hear a message on the sin of racism and the need for racial reconciliation, but rarely will anything be said about abortion. Likewise, if you were to attend a non-denominational church at this time of year, one that was perhaps slightly to the right of center on the theological spectrum, you may hear a message on the sin of abortion but rarely one on racial prejudice.

Let’s be honest. People who identify themselves as Democrats and embrace a more liberal political, social, and moral agenda for our land, have a lot to say about the evil of racial prejudice. And people who identify themselves as Republicans and embrace a more conservative political, social, and moral agenda for our land, have a lot to say about the evil of abortion. But it isn’t often that a church will denounce both.

Of course, there are always exceptions to this. There are Democrats who advocate a conservative moral agenda and there are even a few Republicans who embrace a somewhat liberal moral agenda. So, I’m not saying that professing Christians who vote Democrat never speak about abortion or are never opposed to it. I’m not saying that professing Christians who vote Republican never speak about racism or are never opposed to it. But no one can deny that much of the American church falls on one side or the other of this obvious divide.

Now hear me well. This is not primarily a political or social issue. What I am going to say has nothing to do with whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. It has to do with whether or not you are a Christian, regardless of your political affiliation. It has to do with what the Bible teaches, not what our two political parties have written into their respective platforms. Nevertheless, I find it tragic that most churches that are theologically and politically to the left rarely mark Sanctity of Life Sunday and rarely preach about the evil of abortion. I find it equally tragic that most churches that are theologically and politically to the right rarely mark Martin Luther King Day and rarely preach about the evil of racism and prejudice.

I don’t care whether you are a Republican or a Democrat. That doesn’t mean I don’t have personal political convictions. I do. Ask me anytime and I’ll tell you what I believe. What I care about today, at this time of year, is your commitment to the truth of Scripture and your recognition that both abortion and racism are blasphemous!

If in what follows it seems as if I’m placing more emphasis on the issue of abortion, it is only because it can be quantified. In other words, it’s hard to measure racial prejudice in our land. There are no statistics that adequately express the depth of this problem. And aside from a few radical fringe groups, rarely will anyone confess to being a racist.

Abortion, on the other hand, is very much a statistical issue. We can trace its presence in our country. We can measure its increase or decrease. We have statistics that highlight its prevalence. And there are quite a few people in the mainstream of our society who unashamedly say they support abortion and believe it is a basic freedom that ought to be protected by our legal system.

But I assure you that simply because I will give you some startling statistics concerning abortion, I do not intend to minimize the problem of racial prejudice.

Come back tomorrow for part two of this short series.

1 Comments

Sharon

Jan 17, 2014

I believe my pastor has talked about both! :-)

But I think one of the reasons that evangelicals talk more about abortion than racism is because there is something of a public concensus on the issue and racial discrimination has been addressed in various ways in the legal system. Abortion, on the other hand, is legal and "acceptable" in some sense. So there's a sense that, while racism exists, it is more of a private evil, while abortion rights are enshrined in our legal system.

Having said that, I would agree that evangelicals are probably more vocal in opposition to abortion than they were ever vocal in support of the Civil Right movement.